Welcome to Meek-Geek, your hub for the mutterings of an absent-minded word weaver. I review, analyze, offer writing tips, and generally blog about my life. If you find anything of interest, be sure to subscribe, 'cause there's bound to be more where that came from!

Pages

Sunday, January 19, 2014

5 Tips for Writing Action-Packed Fight Scenes

Conflict is vital to every story.

And often, that conflict escalates from disagreement and
dislike to physical combat. In the world of fiction—especially genres such as
fantasy and sci-fi—writing satisfying, dynamic fighting sequences is often a necessity.

Let’s take a deeper look at the adrenalin-laced topic of
fighting, as well as a few tips that will help you write more dynamic, intense
battle scenes in your stories.

1. Actions VS
Reactions

At its core, the most basic rule of combat follows Newton’s
law of motion; namely: “To every action there is always an equal and opposite
reaction.”

To keep things simple, think of physical combat as a game of
chess. One player makes a move, which causes the other to react to the move in
some way. Of course, physical fighting is much more complex, but the principle is
the same. When one combatant throws an attack, the other must either return the
gesture offensively (by attacking back) or defensively (by protecting
themselves). This aggressive “give-and-take” is what makes fighting flow.

When you write action scenes, remembering this basic
principle can help simplify the task. When more than one combatant is involved
in the fight, the possibilities are greater, but the law of actions VS
reactions remains the same. Here is a basic example of one-on-one combat from Redwall by Brian Jacques. Notice the
specific actions that the combatants take and how their foe reacts to them:

The thick tail of the
Warlord [Cluny] flicked out venomously at Matthias’s face. He covered swiftly
with his shield as the poisoned metal barb clanged harmlessly off it. Cluny
tried again, this time whipping the tail speedily at the young mouse’s
unprotected legs. Matthias leaped nimbly to one side and swung the sword in a
flashing arc. Cluny roared with pain as it severed the tip of his tail.

2. Universe, Setting,
and Atmosphere

What is the setting of your story? Depending on that answer,
the combat options available to you will change. It goes without saying that a
story set in medieval times will not see much gun-fighting. Likewise, characters
in the prohibition era won’t likely be garbing up in armor and swinging their
sabers into battle.

Those are both silly examples, but knowing exactly what is available to you in the setting
of your story is important. If your story takes place in a fantastical world
where characters use both swords and firearms (think: Starwars), then it’s important for you to understand the laws of
these weapons. What advantages do certain weapons have over others? How do they
operate in battle? Do they have any special abilities or uses? And so on.

Atmosphere is key to producing a tight-paced, innovative
action sequence. Exactly where the
battle takes place can alter the style of the fight, so choose interesting
locations with lots of potential for creativity. More importantly, use the atmosphere of the fight to add
tension and immersion to the fight. For
example, if your battle takes place inside a cathedral, have your characters
utilize the pews for barriers and platforms, use a candelabrum as a weapon or
to set something on fire, or even jump on-board a massive, rocking chandelier for
some high-flying, reckless combat. Mention the way that the sounds of combat
echo through the rafters, or how the stained-glass windows cast crimson light
down on the combatants. The possibilities for adding to the atmosphere of a
battle are as boundless as your own creativity.

Each universe has its own set of rules, and depending on
those rules, the style of your combat will vary. In some universes, gravity has
little effect, making battles much more open with many more possibilities. Battles
involving magic or other such super powers have their own set of rules, as
well. Choose atmospheres that allow your combatants to utilize their special
powers in unique ways. The TV series, Avatar,
demonstrates this principle quite well, in that it uses atmosphere in order to
create unique battle fields with every fight. For example, a character who can
manipulate—or “bend”—water must have some source of water in order to fight. In
the show, a “water-bender” may find themselves in a variety of unique fights in
which they must use their powers in innovative ways, such as by bending a tidal
wave from the ocean, freezing water into ice pellets, absorbing water from snow,
or even using their own sweat as a weapon.

3. Even the Odds

Much like the story’s plot, a fight is not enjoyable to read
if it is predictable or one-sided. There will be times when your combatants
will not be evenly-matched, and these battles will end quickly and
unceremoniously. However, for a lengthier, more engaging fight, both opponents
will need to have evened odds. This does not mean that both characters must be
equally matched. It simply means that the “weaker” character must have some
form or chance of winning against the stronger opponent. The “weaker” character
may be able to use the atmosphere to get an advantage, have an animal companion
that assists them in combat, or perhaps have a temporary benefit because their
enemy is weakened or wounded, etc.

Unless your character is designed to intentionally have
god-like powers, it’s a good idea to have both characters take injury at least
once in order to show that they both have a chance at winning. This also helps
to make your heroes and villains realistic and generally assists with avoiding
the “over-powered god-character” stereotype. Remember that, with battles, you don’t
want to be too predictable, but you do
want to be believable. If you want the underdog character to win the fight,
then come up with a believable, creative way for them to win. Chances are that
they will not be able to conquer their foe through brute force or whatever
fighting technique their opponent has mastered. In Redwall, the hero conquers the villain by cutting away the rope of
the abbey bell and having it crash down on the villain. Even through the hero
is unable to defeat the villain through outright strength, he uses his cunning,
and the atmosphere of the battle, to his advantage and triumphs in the end.

4. Visualize

It is impossible to write anything without some form of
visualization; however, when you pen, or type, a battle sequence, this
visualization is incredibly important.

What does your battle look
like? Try to see it in HD detail. Visualize everything. Notice the smallest
details—the shadows, the fabric of your characters clothes, the exact patterns
and colors of the magical attacks involved, the light flashing along the swords…
It’s a lot to keep up with, but with
fighting scenes it’s important to visualize what’s going on. Otherwise, you
might end up writing a combat sequence that doesn’t flow.

Is your combat realistic? Wearing a billowing cape into a
one-on-one duel may not be the brightest idea, even if it does make for some
rather dramatic descriptions. Does your character really need to backflip over
a bench in order to avoid that attack? Better yet, is it possible to backflip
while wearing all that armor? Granted, your characters may be incredibly agile.
They may be ninjas or mages who are capable of maneuvers that regular fighters
couldn’t hope to pull off. If this is the case, then know what physics and
rules apply to their style of fighting and ensure that their combat remains
within believability.

5. Seek Inspiration

One of the absolute best things you can do to enhance your
battle-writing skills is to read, and view, battles. Pick up novels with
detailed, stimulating action sequences, such as the works of Brian Jacques or
R.A. Salvatore. If you enjoy movies, watch The
Lord of the Rings,Avengers, The Legend of Korra, or some other
action film that matches the genre of your story. If video games are your
thing, take a look at the Final Fantasy
series for some intense, CGI combat. Regardless of the genre you write, there
are many wonderful media options available for your viewing pleasure. Here are
some things to look for as you view an action sequence:

How do the characters use the atmosphere to their advantage?

How does the atmosphere add to the drama or uniqueness of
the battle?

Do both characters take injuries of some kind?

Does one character appear to have the advantage? How does
the “weaker” character compensate for this?

How are the physics and/or systems of the world implemented into
the battle (magic, physics, super-powers, shields, etc.)?

Is victory achieved? Is it achieved through outright force,
or through some other compensation?

Music is another stimulating way to unlock your inspiration.
Seek out thrilling, engaging soundtracks and visualize the combat happening in
time to the music. You might be surprised with how many ideas you are able to
generate with this method. For some epic, inspiring music, I recommend checking
out Immediate Music, Two Steps from Hell,
and Audiomachine, to name a few. Trailer
music and movie scores are both excellent sources of inspiration for
wide-sweeping battle scenes, and I highly recommend listening to some as you
brainstorm your combat sequence.

No comments:

Post a Comment

About Me

Casey Lynn Covel is a Christian writer, reviewer, and media
critic, currently writing multiple novels for publication. She has been telling
stories long before she could write words, and continues to pursue her passion
for writing through speculative fiction, poetry, non-fiction, editorials, and
critical reviews. When Casey is not actively writing, she can usually be found
reading, costuming, digital designing, managing her blog, and other activities
to stimulate her creativity.

Casey currently writes for Geeks Under Grace, Florida Geeks Scene, and FROM JAPAN, and has been commendably published through a variety of outlets, including ChristianAnswers.net, KHInsider, the iCosplay Magazine, and as first place in the annual Note Bene writing contest through the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society.

In 2013 she founded PROJECT: Magic
Kingdom Hearts in Florida, along with a twin project in California
called Disneyland of Departure. She managed Magic Kingdom Hearts for one
year; the event is ongoing, now under the name of RE: Magic Kingdom
Hearts.